Joseph R. Farrington

Joseph Rider Farrington
Farrington in 1943
Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii Territory's At-large district
In office January 3, 1943 – June 19, 1954
Preceded by	Samuel W. King
Succeeded by	Elizabeth P. Farrington
Member of the Hawaii Territorial Senate
In office 1934–1942
Personal details
Born	(1897-10-15)October 15, 1897 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	June 19, 1954(1954-06-19) (aged 56) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elizabeth P. Farrington
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1918–1919
Rank	second lieutenant

Farrington grave marker in Oahu Cemetery

Farrington in 1915, as a graduate from Punahou School.

Joseph Rider Farrington (October 15, 1897 – June 19, 1954) was an American newspaper editor and statesman who served in the United States Congress as delegate for the Territory of Hawai'i.

Education and military career

Farrington was born in Washington, D.C., to Wallace Rider Farrington, the future Territorial Governor of Hawai'i. While still an infant, he moved to Honolulu, Hawai'i with his parents where his father began work as an editor for the Honolulu Advertiser and later the Honolulu Star-Bulletin newspapers. Farrington attended Punahou School and, upon graduating, studied at the University of Wisconsin. He dropped out of college in June 1918 to enlist in the United States Army. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of field artillery in September 1918 and discharged the following December. He returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and graduated in 1919.

Newspaper career

As soon as he obtained his degree in Wisconsin, Farrington became a reporter on the staff of the Public Ledger in Philadelphia. He served three years as a member of its Washington bureau. He then returned to Honolulu to follow in his father's footsteps and entered the newspaper business. He became a reporter and then editor of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. In 1939, Farrington succeeded his father to become president and general manager of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, an office in which he served until his death.

Political career

Farrington during his time as delegate.

Farrington with Alaska Delegate Bob Bartlett in 1950.

Farrington began a part-time political career as secretary to the Hawai'i Legislative Commission in 1933. The following year he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial Senate, an office he served in through 1942. On January 3, 1943, Farrington was sworn in as a Republican delegate to Congress. Farrington was a supporter of Hawaiian statehood and help advise the early post-war efforts for admission. He died in office in Washington, D.C., on June 19, 1954, of an apparent heart attack. His wife, Elizabeth P. Farrington, was elected to replace him in Congress. Farrington was buried in the Oahu Cemetery in Nuʻuanu Valley in Honolulu.

See also

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)

External links

• Joseph Rider Farrington Congressional Papers collection
• A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Joseph R Farrington" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive
• A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Joseph R Farrington" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive
• A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Delegate-to-Congress Joseph R Farrington (June 13, 1952)" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive